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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28192824">Risking Chances</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/katie_049/pseuds/katie_049'>katie_049</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Little Things [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Chicago Fire</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Lieutenant Handsome with the green eyes</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 22:22:42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>9,724</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28192824</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/katie_049/pseuds/katie_049</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“That was a close one,” a male voice told her once the patting on her legs stopped. “I don’t think it burnt through your pants or your shoes. You got lucky.”</p><p>Confused, Sylvie pushed herself up onto her elbows, her eyes finding the source of the voice and meeting a pair of piercing green eyes. Really pretty, piercing green eyes.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Sylvie Brett/Matthew Casey</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Little Things [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2023634</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>71</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>137</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>As promised we'll have the jealousy part next with a special appearance of Lieutenant Handsome. I love how we all imagine him having green eyes.<br/>This will be two parts, and the second part will follow in the next few days, but definitely before Christmas as this series is supposed to get a Christmas part too ;)<br/>Thank you for reading guys ♥♥</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sylvie Brett had experienced more than enough close calls in her life, but she had never expected this car pileup on Roosevelt Road to be one of them.</p><p>A traffic light malfunction had caused chaos, with at least five cars ramming into each other and blocking the entire intersection. The entire house had been called out, and as soon as they arrived, Chief Boden had requested for more companies to assist.</p><p>It was hectic and Sylvie just had enough time to instruct Gianna to stay calm and treat one patient at a time until more ambulances arrived, before Severide directed her to the first victim that was pinned into her car. It was a young woman in her mid-twenties. She was conscious, which was a miracle, but she was close to hyperventilating.</p><p>“Hey there, sweetie. I’m Sylvie. Can you tell me your name?” She asked in a soft voice as she let her eyes run over her. She couldn’t spot any bleeds, but her legs were stuck under the steering wheel.</p><p>“Melody,” the brown-haired woman pressed out and grabbed onto Sylvie’s arm. “Please get me out of here. I can’t feel my legs.”</p><p>“Hang tight, Melody. My colleagues are working on getting this door off, and then we can get you out of the car, alright? In the meantime, I will put this c-collar around your neck. Can you tell me if you’re hurt anywhere else?” Sylvie asked her as she adjusted the c-collar around her neck.</p><p>The young woman lifted her hands, which were shaking uncontrollably. “No, it’s just my legs. I can’t feel them.” A sob wracked through her body and she hiccupped.</p><p>“Take a deep breath, Melody. You’re doing great. I will check your legs now.” Sylvie reached further into the car, sticking her head through the window.</p><p>She could barely see anything with the steering wheel hanging low over the woman’s lap, so she gently slid her hand down the victim’s hip, letting it go down to her thigh. “Can you feel that, Melody?”</p><p>“Yes,” she cried, and Sylvie could feel her body moving under her hand.</p><p>While she didn’t want to completely rule out a spinal injury, it seemed like Melody might just be blocking out the pain she felt in her legs and confused it with not feeling them at all. In principle that was good, but Sylvie still needed to find the source of the pain. As she moved her hand to the other leg, she encountered something warm and wet. Cursing internally, she carefully felt around the area. It was an open fracture low on her thigh. That was not good.</p><p>Before she could slide her hand down any further, she felt something hot under her feet, and Matt’s voice pierced her ears.</p><p>“Brett!” He screamed, his voice full of panic and fear.</p><p>The next few seconds happened in a flash, and she barely had time to comprehend what was happening.</p><p>A pair of muscular arms wrapped around her and forcefully pulled her away from the car, dragging her a few feet away before pushing her onto the ground. She didn’t even have time to brace herself for the impact, but it never came anyway. Instead, she landed on someone else, but before she could see who it was that someone gently placed her body on the cold ground and moved to pat down her legs.</p><p>“That was a close one,” a male voice told her once the patting on her legs stopped. “I don’t think it burnt through your pants or your shoes. You got lucky.”</p><p>Confused, Sylvie pushed herself up onto her elbows, her eyes finding the source of the voice and meeting a pair of piercing green eyes. Really pretty, piercing green eyes.</p><p>“I’m Lieutenant Andrew Reed from Engine 40,” the dark-haired firefighter introduced himself with a full-blown smile, flashing his white teeth. He pulled his glove off his hands, stretching one hand out to her.</p><p>Dazed, Sylvie grabbed his outstretched hand, letting him shake it softly. For some reason, she couldn’t tear her eyes away from him, fascinated by his gorgeous eyes and smile. It also prevented her from introducing herself, leaving them staring at each other in silence.</p><p>“Sylvie,” Matt’s voice filled her ears, and then he appeared in her line of sight, crouching down next to her.</p><p>It pulled her away from Lieutenant Reed as her eyes wandered to muster Matt’s concerned face. His forehead was deeply wrinkled, his eyes wide in panic. She had seen a similar look on his face before when she had stumbled out of the crashed ambulance a few weeks ago, but today, something else intensified it.</p><p>“Are you hurt? Did it go through?” He questioned her, and then his hands slid down her legs, pulling her pant legs up gently.</p><p>When the freezing air hit her skin, it suddenly reminded her of the hot feeling she had just felt between her feet a few seconds ago. The memory replaced her analyses of Matt’s face, and her forehead wrinkled in confusion.  </p><p>“What happened?” She finally asked as she pushed herself into a sitting position. “Is Melody alright?”</p><p>“There was some gasoline on the ground under the car and it caught on fire. You were standing right in it,” Lieutenant Reed explained, shifting himself onto his knees. “And <em> Melody </em> is fine. My guys got the fire under control, and Squad 3 is about to take the door off the car.” He nodded at her feet before directing his gaze at Matt. “It didn’t go through, Captain. I got to her in time. She might need some new shoes though.”</p><p>Matt smoothed his fingers over her ankles in a feather-light touch as he inspected the sole of her boots, before leaning back too and leveling Reed with an irritated look.</p><p>“I can see that,” he mumbled under his breath, switching his gaze back to her. “Are you good? Do you feel any pain?”</p><p>“No, I’m fine, Casey. I think Lieutenant Reed is right. It didn’t go through,” Sylvie assured him, patting his arm quickly. “I should go check on the victim. She was bleeding pretty badly.”</p><p>The lieutenant jumped to his feet at her words, grabbing her by the arms and pulling her back up to her feet before she could react. Their eyes met once again, and she felt herself smile at him.</p><p>“I’ll let you get back to your patient then. Catch you later?” He asked her with a lopsided grin as he walked backward away from her.  </p><p>Sylvie managed a small nod, earning herself another full-blown smile from Lieutenant Reed, who then turned around to walk over to his guys. Her eyes stayed on him until he was out of sight, and even then, she couldn’t get his eyes and his blinding smile out of her head. He was just really handsome.</p><p>“Are you sure you don’t want to get checked out?” Matt pulled her from her thoughts, one of his hands landing on her shoulder. “Your shoes are burnt pretty bad.”</p><p>Concern was still etched onto his face, and he looked like he was ready to drag her to the ambulance himself. It was completely unnecessary though as she was fine. The soles of her shoes had melted a bit, but there was still enough rubber left to at least finish this call. And she needed to get back to Melody. She had been away far too long already.</p><p>Besides, she couldn’t deal with Matt’s overprotective streak right now.</p><p>Leveling him with a pointed look, Sylvie tilted her head to the side. “I’m fine, Matt. I need new shoes, but other than that nothing happened. Stop worrying about me.” She patted his arm gently before nodding her head in the direction of the car pile-up. “I need to go back to my patient now, so excuse me.”</p><p>She didn’t mean to be so abrupt and cold with Matt, but out of the corner of her eyes, she could see Severide lifting the door away from the car. Tony and Capp were already working on getting the roof off, and Melody was still crying hysterically.</p><p>With one last look at Matt’s concerned face, she stepped away from him and crossed the distance to the car, stopping next to Severide.</p><p>“You good?” He asked her from the side, eyeing her with a raised brow.</p><p>“Fine,” she huffed softly, crouching down to get a better look at where Melody’s legs were stuck under the steering wheel. “She’s got an open fracture, and I can’t tell what state her lower legs are in. She could also have a possible spinal injury.”</p><p>Severide mustered her for a second before turning to his men. “Capp, Tony, don’t jostle the car while lifting the roof off. Cruz, get ready to climb in from the passenger side.”</p><p>“You’re doing great, Melody. Just hang on for a bit longer. We’re almost there,” Sylvie called out to the young woman, placing herself in her line of sight.</p><p>Seeing the dark-haired woman in her distressed state immediately put her back into full-work mode, making her block out the last few minutes in record time.</p><p> </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>Once Melody was loaded into one of the ambulances, Sylvie went and searched for Mackey, making sure her partner was doing OK. To her relief, the young woman had stayed calm, checking over a few patients with minor injuries. Sylvie joined her, throwing her a few pointers here and there, but her partner was a quick learner, needing fewer instructions compared to their last triage situation. </p><p>Sylvie had just finished examining her last patient, when Lieutenant Reed stepped up next to her, greeting her with that blinding smile for the second time that day.</p><p>“I see your feet are still working,” he stated, taking off his gloves. “It’s Sylvie, right? I didn’t catch your name earlier.”</p><p>“Thanks to you,” Sylvie mused, crossing her arms in front of her body. “I’m sorry I didn’t thank you earlier. I must have been a little out of it. I’m Sylvie Brett. I work at Firehouse 51.”</p><p>“Nah, that’s fine. I’m glad to be of service,” he waved her off, shrugging his shoulder. “Well, Sylvie Brett it’s nice to officially meet you. I do wish we would have met under different circumstances. I try not to tackle women who I haven’t been out with.”</p><p>Did he just ask her out? In a totally casual way and after knowing her for less than five minutes? This certainly wasn’t the first time she had been asked out in her life, but it was the first time it threw her for a loop. She hadn’t expected it at all.  </p><p>“Uh, I guess this was my way of asking you out,” he clarified, lifting his arm to scratch the back of his neck. “I’m terrible at this.”</p><p>Blinking at him in surprise, her lips parted. She searched his eyes for a second, but she couldn’t find anything but sincerity. He genuinely meant to ask her out.</p><p>“I’m…,” she started, but the words were stuck in her throat. Did she want to go out with him? Matt was still on her mind, and her feelings for him were also still there. That wouldn’t be fair to the lieutenant. But on the other hand, she felt weirdly attracted to the dark-haired man in front of her. He pulled her in with ease and made her laugh without trying. That was refreshing.</p><p>“Look, I’m sorry if this was a bit direct, but as someone who has lost his chance because he waited too long, I thought I might try a different approach this time,” he explained, putting his hands on his hips. “Just think about it. You seem like a nice person, and you’re badass at your job. I mean, the way you just went right back to work after nearly going up in flames? That’s impressive and shows an extraordinary level of dedication that most of the medics I worked with lack.” He paused, taking a deep breath. “Please stop me any time now, before I embarrass myself any further.”</p><p>A nervous laugh left his throat, and he lowered his head, glancing up to her through his long, dark lashes. He was gorgeous. Those dark-green eyes mesmerized her.</p><p>“Uh, well if it’s OK with you, I’d like to think about it,” Sylvie agreed, dropping her arms, and reaching for her watch. Twisting it around, she bit her lip. “It’s a flattering offer though. Thank you, Lieutenant.”</p><p>“It’s Andrew,” he corrected her, locking eyes with her.</p><p>Goodness gracious, someone save her from those gorgeous eyes. She simply couldn’t tear her eyes away from him. Her heart hammered against her chest as they stared at each other.</p><p>“Brett? We’re ready to go,” Mackey called out to her, making her flinch, but also finally giving her brain a valid reason to stop staring.</p><p>She blinked a few times, letting her eyes swipe away from Reed for a second as she called over her shoulder, “I’m coming, Mackey.” Biting her lip, she glanced back to the man in front of her. “I need to go. Thank you again for your offer, Andrew.” She smiled at him gently before taking a step back. His name rolled off her lips easily, and it caused him to fully smile at her again.</p><p>“I won’t hold you up. I’m looking forward to hearing from you, Sylvie,” he told her, shifting in his spot. “And no matter how you decide, I’m glad I got to meet you.” </p><p>Her belly fluttered at his words, and she gave him one last smile before she turned to walk over to the ambulance.</p><p>“He’s one fine-looking man,” Gianna greeted her with a smirk, wiggling her eyebrows.</p><p>Sylvie’s eyes widened at her new partner’s words, and she leveled her with a chastising look. “Let’s get our patient to Med. I’m driving,” she deflected, ignoring her little comment.</p><p>The young paramedic shook her head in amusement, climbing into the back of the ambulance, and took a seat on the little bench.</p><p>Shutting the back doors, Sylvie took a deep breath, letting the air out slowly again. What a day! And they weren’t even halfway through their shift yet.</p><p> </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>Unfortunately for Matt, first on the scene also usually meant last to leave, and today was no different. While all other companies had left after all victims were transported, truck 81 and engine 51 had stayed for cleanup.</p><p>Almost two hours later, they finally made it back to the house, and the first thing he had to see was Engine 40 parked by the curb. He wasn’t dumb enough to not know why they were there, and as Stella pulled 81 into the apparatus floor, he spotted Lieutenant Reed standing next to Sylvie at the ambo.</p><p>A burning sensation spread through his chest, and he couldn’t help the irritated huff leaving his throat. Of course, he had realized that the lieutenant from engine 40 had noticed Sylvie after rescuing her from the fire. The way he had smiled at her had just been a little too friendly, and his eyes had lingered just a little too long on the blonde paramedic.</p><p>The truck stopped moving, and he immediately pushed his door open just in time to hear Sylvie’s laughter fill up the apparatus floor. It usually was his favorite sound, but it didn’t sit right with him, knowing who caused it. He should be the one that made her laugh like that.</p><p>As Matt glanced over to them, he watched as Lieutenant Reed bumped his shoulder against Sylvie’s, putting an even bigger smile onto her face.</p><p>Hot anger boiled up in him, and he ripped his gaze away from them. It was too much. Every muscle in his body was tensing up, getting ready to stomp over there and get rid of the lieutenant, but he couldn’t do that. He had no right to.</p><p>With a loud thud, Matt slammed the passenger door of 81 shut, releasing a small amount of anger before he pushed down his suspenders and stepped out of his gear.</p><p>“You know, if you would get your act together, there wouldn’t be a reason for this jealousy,” Stella piped up next to him, and he looked up to see her leaning against the front of the truck.  </p><p>“I’m not jealous,” Matt hissed through clenched teeth, putting his shoes back on.</p><p>“Please, who are you trying to convince?” Stella questioned him with a lifted brow. “Anyway, Brett should definitely take Lieutenant Reed up on that date. I mean she’s free game, isn’t she?”</p><p>God, that guy had already asked her out. He must have done it right at the scene. He did see that the lieutenant had talked to her again, but Matt didn’t think he would move this fast. The audacity of the guy. Who did he think he was? He had gotten to know Sylvie three hours ago, and now he was already chasing after her like some teenage boy.</p><p>“Shut it, Kidd,” Matt growled and stormed away towards the back of the truck without looking at her again. He could still hear Sylvie’s laugh echo through the garage, and an unfamiliar tightness spread through his chest that almost cut off his breath. He needed to get away.</p><p>“I’m just saying. Reed’s hunky, and they look cute together,” Stella shrugged as she chased after him, falling into step with him. “Did you see his dark green eyes? That’s definitely something to swoon over. Just imagine their babies. Brett’s light blonde hair with his piercing green eyes. They’d be so cute.”</p><p>No. Just no.</p><p>“Brett’s not gonna go out with him,” Matt snapped as they slipped through the backdoor towards the bunk rooms. His voice was way too loud for the firehouse, and it was a miracle that nobody had heard him yet, but the insinuation of Sylvie having kids with Reed blew his stack. It was an absolute no-go.</p><p>Kidd puffed behind him in disbelief. “That’s not for you to decide, Casey. Brett can do whatever she wants,” she countered with a threatening edge to her voice. “You don’t have a say in this. You’re not her boyfriend.”</p><p>“I know that,” he barked, quickening his pace down the hallway towards his quarters. Of course, he knew that. He had no right to feel this way because he was the reason for their non-existing relationship, which made the entire situation even worse.</p><p>As he entered his quarters, one of his hands reached out to throw the door shut, but Kidd managed to slip in behind him, catching the door and closing it gently.</p><p>“Good. Because I’m gonna tell her to take him up on that offer,” the firefighter informed him, crossing her arms in front of her chest. “She deserves someone who values her and makes her laugh.”</p><p>Her words stung, but Matt knew they were true. They replaced the blind anger flushing through his veins with an extreme frustration about his lacking ability to deal with his feelings. It was all his fault. He was the one who continued to screw things up with her, and now he had to deal with the aftermath.</p><p>But it still didn’t mean he needed to constantly be reminded of his failure. It was the last thing he wanted. It was hard enough to navigate through everything he felt. He didn’t need Kidd rubbing it in.</p><p>As he stood in front of his bed, he pulled in a deep breath, lifting his hands to his hips. “Why are you doing this, Kidd?” Pressing his lips into a tight line, he locked eyes with her.</p><p>She looked at him calmly and with brutal honesty. “Because you’re on the verge of losing the one good thing in your life, and despite being angry at you for being a stupid idiot, I do hope you figure this out,” she explained, uncrossing her arms with a sigh. “That bond you have with Sylvie? That’s not something you find often. It’s special. And you’d be a damn fool to let that slip through your fingers.”</p><p>Swallowing hard, he kept quiet. How was he supposed to object to those words if they were 100% true? He was an idiot. And he would be a fool if he let Sylvie go. He wanted to fight for her. For them. That wasn’t the issue.</p><p>No, the problem was that an entire month had passed, and he still hadn’t started to work through his shit. Instead, he had gone back to silently longing for her, and he wasn’t any closer to being the person Sylvie deserved.</p><p>“First and foremost, I need to be her friend right now. She’s still not back to being her chummy self, and the two of you still barely talk. That radiant smile of hers is rare these days, and today someone finally managed to put it back onto her face,” Stella continued, mirroring his position by putting her hands on her hips. “Unfortunately, it wasn’t you, and I can’t in good faith tell her not to lean into this guy, but I hope it puts your ass in gear.” Pursing her lips, she nodded curtly. “Pardon my language.”</p><p>Biting the inside of his cheek, Matt lifted a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. “I get it, Kidd. More than anything, I want her to be happy.”</p><p>“You could make her happy, Casey. If it came down to it, she would always choose you. She just needs you to do the same for her,” Stella told him with a shook of her head.</p><p>It sounded so simple, but it just wasn’t. Where was he even supposed to start?</p><p>Rubbing a hand down his face, he turned away from Kidd and let himself fall onto his bed with a frustrated groan. He rested his elbows on his knees as he hunched forward and hid his face in the palm of his hands. This was just endless.</p><p>The rattling of the door sounded through the enclosed space, just before Kidd’s voice filled the room one last time, “Work this out, Casey. She’s worth it.” With that, she stepped out of the room, closing the door behind her with a soft click.</p><p>He let his hands slide to the side of his face, his fingertips resting against his cheeks while he propped his chin on his thumbs. Staring against the frosted glass of his quarters, he willed his mind to pull up the emotions he had after Gabby had left him, even if it was the last thing he wanted to do.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Part II</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This got away from me again. I planned something totally different, but anyway. Enjoy these 6,000 words.<br/>Just to be clear, this is Matt's low. After this, it will get better, and we will get more Brettsey again. I just needed him to act jealous in front of her once. <br/>Also, I love Andrew. Period. </p>
<p>Hopefully, I'll get the Christmas oneshot done before Christmas. Crossing my fingers 🤞🏻</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Drying her hands with a paper towel, Sylvie glanced into the mirror one last time to check her makeup. She was on her third date with Andrew, and they had gone to see a movie at a small theater in Logan Square. It was a romantic comedy, something light and funny. Andrew had chosen it for them, and it was just what she needed in those few hectic weeks before Christmas.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In general, Andrew had been great in figuring out what she needed during these last two weeks. He was nothing but courteous, bringing her flowers, holding doors open for her, or helping her into her coat. Adding to that, he had a talent for making her laugh and forget about the rest of the world whenever she was with him or even through a text or a phone call.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He made her feel special and appreciated in a way that she hadn’t felt in a long time. They clicked so easily that it was almost crazy.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Throwing the paper towel into the bin next to the sink, Sylvie stepped out of the restroom to find Andrew waiting for her by the exit of the theater. The moment he spotted her, his eyes lit up, and she could tell that he was smiling at her through his mask.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There you are. Ready to head out?” He asked her as he held out his hand towards her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Without thinking too much about it, she grabbed it, interlacing their fingers. Holding hands was new for them, something Andrew had just initiated as they walked into the theater a few hours ago. It was nice though, and the soft brushing of his thumb against the back of her hand had calmed her nerves.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Just like earlier, his warm hand engulfed hers almost completely. With a tug on her hand, he pulled her with him as they slowly walked outside.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you for today. I had a wonderful time,” Sylvie addressed him as she pulled down her mask. “I hope you at least enjoyed the movie to some degree.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Andrew chuckled softly, pulling his mask down too. “You remember me not being into those kinds of movies, huh? I know we talked about it, but I thought you might have forgotten.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bumping her shoulder into his, she glanced up to him in mock hurt. “Are you insinuating that I don’t listen to you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He shook his head with a smile on his face, his eyes glimmering with mischief. “Oh no, you’re way too polite to tune me out whenever I babble on about something for too long.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tsk, you’re certainly not earning yourself any brownie points today, Lieutenant Reed,” Sylvie chastised him gently as they reached his car. “And just to be clear, I don’t mind your babbling. I think it’s cute.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They stopped next to his car, but instead of opening the passenger door, the lieutenant grabbed her other hand, pulling her in front of him. “You’re amazing, Sylvie Brett. I don’t think I have ever met anyone quite like you.” He lifted his left hand to her face, brushing a few strands of hair behind her ear before trailing his fingers over her cheekbone.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It felt nice, but it instantly reminded her of Matt as he had done the exact same thing a few weeks ago. But Matt Casey was banned from her thoughts whenever she was with Andrew. That had been her only but nonetheless the most important rule to herself when she had decided to agree to the lieutenant’s offer. And so far, it had worked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Andrew was ready to kiss her. It was something she could see in his eyes, but it made her panic. She couldn’t do this, at least not when Matt still crossed her mind. It wasn’t fair.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She clammed up in her spot, and Andrew must have felt the shift in her mood too as he pulled back his hand in the next second, smoothing it down her arm, before opening the passenger door for her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, I got a little carried away there,” he apologized with a crunched-up expression. “Please stop me if I ever make you uncomfortable.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Could he be any more perfect? He had to be the most respectful and thoughtful guy she had met in her life. Why couldn’t she just be in this moment with him? Why did she have to ruin it by thinking of Matt?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t make me feel uncomfortable, Andrew. I’m sorry for clamming up like this,” Sylvie deflected, squeezing his hand. “You did nothing wrong.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You told me from the start that you wanted to take this slow, and I want you to know that I respect that 100%,” he told her earnestly, searching for her eyes. “I like you, Sylvie. And I’m willing to take this as slow as you want. If that means I only get to hold your hand, I’ll be fine with that. And if that is too much, I’ll be fine with just being with you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I appreciate that, Andrew,” she answered, pushing her bitter thoughts away. She raised herself onto her tiptoes and planted a quick kiss on his cheek. Mostly to solidify her point, but also partly to prove it to herself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The smile on his face was worth it though. It was infectious and made her forget about Matt again, which made her relax. With one last smile at him, she slipped under his arm and climbed into the car.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And just so you know, I like holding your hand,” she added right before the lieutenant closed the door.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A laugh burst deep out of his throat, and when he sat down in the driver’s seat a few seconds later, he grinned at her happily, flashing his white teeth. “I’ll be sure to do it more often then.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Instead of going anywhere else, Andrew had brought her home after the movies. They were both on shift the next day and had to get up early. It was nice that they were on the same rotation as it made scheduling another date a lot easier.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They had agreed to go to brunch the day after shift as it was a Sunday and both of them hadn’t planned anything else. When Andrew had dropped her off, he had taken her to the door of the apartment complex, making a point of holding her hand. To Sylvie’s relief, he hadn’t tried to kiss her or come close to her in any other way. He had just lifted her hand and pressed a soft kiss to the back of it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was sweet of him, and it made her like him just a bit more. The fact that he respected her boundaries and didn’t push her was something she was grateful for.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shift on the next day had also started great. During breakfast, Kylie, Stella’s recruit from Girls on Fire who helped in the bullpen now and then, had walked into the common room with a bouquet in her hands. With a big smile on her face, she had handed it over to Sylvie, who had blushed furiously.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They had been from Andrew, who once again thanked her for their date last night. The flowers had plastered a smile onto her face, and for a second she hadn’t cared that all her colleagues now knew about the possibility of someone new in her life.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That was until she had seen Matt’s face. It was difficult to identify his expression as just one emotion as it held a mix of irritation, anguish, and regret. But before she had been able to dissect it any further, the house had been called out to an accident by the river.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her focus had shifted back onto their work as accidents by the river were always a little more time-sensitive during this time of the year. This particular one turned out to be one that would haunt them all for a while.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Two teenaged boys had dared each other to step onto the ice on the bank of the river, but they had gotten a bit too careless, wandering out too far and breaking through. Fortunately for them, they had both been able to grab onto the ice around them, keeping their heads over the water.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>What the two 14-year-olds hadn’t known though was that the younger brother of one of the boys had followed them to the river. Meaning well, he had run to his brother to help him, but he had slipped, hitting his head on the ice. Unconscious, he hadn’t been able to hold on to the surrounding ice, and the two older boys had to watch him being pulled under.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The entire rescue had been heart-wrenching for everyone involved. Squad 3 had immediately started to look for the small boy, while 81 had pulled out the two older ones. Both rescues hadn’t gone exactly smoothly as Gallo had once again disobeyed an order from Casey, resulting in the two firefighters breaking through the ice.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>While both of them were in the need of a hot shower and some serious warming up, they were fine, and even the two teenagers hadn’t been hurt apart from a mild case of hypothermia.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The younger boy though hadn’t been nearly as lucky. The search for him took about five minutes, and together with their response time, he had been under for too long. He had been in a terrible shape when Cruz had dropped him onto their stretcher, his body too cold and his lungs filled with water. Even though Sylvie and Mackey had rushed him to the hospital in record time, it had been too late. The doctors at Med had tried to save him for another half an hour, but in the end, Dr. Natalie Manning had pronounced him dead.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It had been terrible to watch. Adding to that clearing up the paperwork had taken longer than expected, so Sylvie and Mackey had also witnessed the mother hearing the news about her little boy. The poor woman had broken down in Natalie’s arms, crying hysterically.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It had been terrible to watch, and it had put a damper on their day. Gianna was taking it particularly hard as she had barely suppressed her choked gasp upon watching the scene in front of them unfold.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And now that they were back at the station, Sylvie started to worry about her new partner. They had spent the entire ride back to the station in silence, and Gianna had just stared blankly at the dashboard.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Killing the engine, Sylvie turned towards the young woman, mustering her with concerned eyes. “I know there is nothing I can say to make this better, but we did everything we could, Gianna,” Sylvie tried to comfort her, reaching out to lay a hand onto her arm. “Kids are always the hardest, and I wish I could tell you it gets easier, but it doesn’t.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can’t get his face out of my head,” the young woman whispered, staring onto the dashboard. “He just wanted to help his brother. It’s not fair.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Swallowing hard, Sylvie bit her lip. “Life is rarely fair when people get hurt, Mackey. We help many people each day, and that’s what I try to keep in mind after these calls. I wish I could say we rarely lose someone, but I can’t. It happens, but it’s not our fault.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tears started to stream down the young woman’s face, and it almost broke Sylvie’s heart. Gianna was usually a cheerful person with a smile plastered onto her face. Seeing her like this was a stark contrast to that, and it made Sylvie feel a bit helpless.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rubbing her arm gently, she turned in her seat to face her fully. “If you want, I can call our chaplain. I don’t know him well, but Herrmann knows him. He said he’s terrific. Sometimes it helps to talk to someone you don’t know too closely. But if you’d rather talk to someone familiar, I can get Joe or Blake, or we can just keep sitting here.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sniffing softly, the young woman wiped a few tears off her face. “I don’t want Joe or Blake to see me like this.” She took another deep breath, letting her head fall back into her neck. “They both worry too much. I think Joe’s ready to wrap me into bubble wrap and not let me out of his side.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvie chuckled softly. “I can see that happening. Joe can be very protective. I’ve been on the receiving end of that too. Trust me, I know.” It pulled a small laugh from Gianna, and Sylvie counted it as a win.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The chaplain,” Gianna started, folding her hands in her lap. “Does he get called often?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I wish. We work with a bunch of emotionally stunted men who would rather bang their heads against a wall than talk about their feelings,” Sylvie huffed with a shake of her head. “Our previous chaplains used to just come by every so often to check in, but with the pandemic, the department prefers to keep station visits to a minimum. He is still available if we call him though. I’m sure he would be happy to come.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her partner nodded. “Would it be OK if we called him then?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Absolutely,” Sylvie promised her, squeezing her shoulder. “And just so you know. I’m proud of you for accepting help, Gianna. Maybe you’ll be able to teach these old stubborn men here something.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It pulled another soft laugh from the young woman, and she reached up to rest her hand on Sylvie’s. “Thanks, Brett. I’m glad I got you as a partner.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Anytime, Mackey.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Even after taking a long, hot shower and changing into a new set of clothes, Matt was still cold. He was currently sitting on his bed in his quarters, a thick woolen blanket wrapped around his body, but he was still shivering.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The entire incident made him angry. Matt had thought that Gallo had been through his reckless cowboying phase, but apparently, he wasn’t. Today, he had proven that he still wasn’t able to follow simple orders, putting them both in danger. They had both broken through the ice because his candidate had tried to be heroic again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>On the way back to the station, Matt might have lost it, yelling at the younger man for most of the drive. Both Mouch and Kidd had been there to witness it, but neither of them had talked him down. In retrospect, he might have been a little too harsh, but he had a short fuse this week, and Gallo had added to his grief.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>For the last two weeks, he had silently tried to process the end of his marriage. It hadn’t been going too well though, as it had put him in the same angry state he had been in after Gabby had left the first time. There was a reason he had pushed all that away, and his sour mood was the best example of that.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>However, his anger was different this time. Back then, it had been directed at himself for not being enough to make his wife want to stay with him. It had felt like a failure to him that he hadn’t been able to fix their marriage.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This time around though, he mainly remembered their fights and the feeling of talking to a brick wall. Gabby had been the center of his world, and he had always tried to make her as happy as possible, but she had continuously disregarded his opinion on decisions that affected their life together, not even thinking about asking him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And the longer he thought about it, the angrier he got. He felt himself get angry at Gabby, and that in turn made him angry at himself again. This wasn’t the way he wanted to remember their marriage. Apart from all the fights and arguments between them, they also had happy memories together. They had been together for almost five years, and he didn’t want to look back on those years with just terrible memories.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The entire process of going through those old memories was exhausting and draining, and after two weeks of constantly thinking about it, he didn’t feel any wiser. And that was making him severely frustrated.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A knock on his door made him look up, and to his surprise he found Sylvie standing in the doorway. She was the reason he was still pushing through his past, instead of just giving up, but at the same time, she was also adding to his sour mood. Not her directly, but the lieutenant she was seeing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, I just wanted to check and see how you’re doing?” She offered in a soft voice, stepping into his quarters. Her stethoscope was hanging around her neck, and she had a clinical thermometer in her hand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Blinking up to her, he pulled the blanket tighter around his body. “I’m still chilly, but it’s nothing I can’t handle.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her brow furrowed, and she crossed the distance between them. “You should be warmed up by now. I just checked in with Gallo, and he is already back to normal. Can you breathe OK?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The fact that she was worried about him weirdly excited him, but the reminder of his candidate’s behavior made him huff. “I’m sure he was back to normal the second I stopped yelling at him.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Pursing her lips, Sylvie tilted her head to the side. “I heard about that. He feels pretty bad about it all.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“As he should. It was stupid and reckless,” Matt growled as another shiver ran through his body.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Bummer, we don’t know from who he picked up the reckless part,” Sylvie challenged him with a lifted eyebrow. “He clearly couldn’t have learned it from someone who would be so foolish and jump out of a moving fire truck.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He chuckled softly at her words; the laughter pulling a dry cough from his lungs. It felt good to talk to her again, even if she called him out on his reckless behavior from a few weeks ago. Though his actions had been provoked by completely different emotions.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Before he could answer, her hand landed on his forehead and then his cheek. Her warm hand felt heavenly, but before he could lean into her touch, she had pulled back and held her thermometer against his forehead.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Have you been coughing before the accident? You don’t have a fever, but that cough doesn’t sound good,” she asked him worriedly, plopping down on the bed next to him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After placing the earbuds of her stethoscope in her ears, she rested one of her hands on his back, while the other snuck under his blanket, opening the zipper of his jacket and putting the stethoscope onto his shirt clad chest.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It’s been a while since they had been this close, and he held his breath as he got a whiff of her sweet flowery scent. His frustration and anger disappeared instantly, and a sense of calm spread through his body.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Take a deep breath, Matt,” she instructed him, her hand rubbing over his back gently.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Matt obediently followed her instructions, taking slow deep breaths as he took the opportunity to muster her peacefully. The frown on her forehead told him she was in absolute work-mode, her entire focus laying on her examination. She was gnawing on her lip though, her lower lip pulled into her mouth, a sign that she was worried, at least unconsciously.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Your lungs sound fine,” she sounded up, extracting her hand from the blanket and pulling the stethoscope out of her ears. “Is your chest hurting? Did you maybe bruise it while they pulled you out?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sylvie, please stop worrying. I’m just a little cold, but I’ll be fine. I promise,” he assured her softly, his lips tugging up into a small smile. “Gallo’s a few years younger than me. Maybe my body just needs a moment longer to catch up.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She closed her eyes for a second, shaking her head. “Are you meaning to tell me you’re old, Matt Casey?” She exclaimed in surprise, the frown on her forehead morphing into a wrinkle. “You’re not even 40 years old yet, Matt. You’ve still got half your life ahead of you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A laugh burst out of his throat, and he shrugged his shoulders. “I’m just saying that we’ve got a lot of fresh and young blood at 51 now.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The paramedic chuckled softly, pursing her lips at him. “We’ll leave it at that.” Amusement danced across her face, and he felt himself smile at her too.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He had missed talking to her, and he wasn’t quite ready to see her go yet. Clearing his throat, he turned a bit more serious, “How’s the little boy?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her face fell at his words, her happiness vanishing from her features, being replaced by a deep sadness. He knew what it meant before she delivered the sad news, “He didn’t make it. The doctors at Med tried their best, but it was too late.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m so sorry, Sylvie,” he offered quietly, sitting completely still next to her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We did our best, but it was just too much for his little body. We had to watch Natalie deliver the news to his mother. It was horrible,” Sylvie told him, folding her hands in her lap. “Gianna is taking it pretty hard. He was her first.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>From experience, Matt knew that the first child you lost was always the hardest. It was incomprehensible, and for him, it had been an out of the world experience. Even though it had been over 15 years, he could still see the little girl’s face in front of his eyes, clear as day.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Have you talked to her?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvie nodded. “I don’t think it helped her much. I just didn’t know what to say to her. With all my other partners, it was easier. They were my best friends. I knew what they needed. But Gianna and I have a different relationship.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She’s more of a mentee to you than a friend,” Matt acknowledged, glancing over to her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She nodded. “I told her the usual empty phrases that we all hear every day. It’s not our fault. We did the best we could. It was already too late. Focus on the ones we save,” Sylvie mumbled with a sigh, stretching her legs out in front of her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They are not empty phrases, Sylvie. Not if they come from someone who understands them,” Matt corrected her. “Leadership is hard, but you talked with her about it, and that already means something. It’s more than other people do.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Biting her lip, she studied her hands. “I offered to call Chaplain Sanders for her.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Pride filled him at her words, and a smile formed on his lips. Of course, she hadn’t given up. She never gave up on anyone, going out of her way to make sure that everyone around her was cared for.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Matt gently bumped their shoulders, waiting until she was looking at him. “You don’t give yourself enough credit, Sylvie. You tried to help Mackey as best as you could, and when that wasn’t enough, you got her help from someone else. That’s some impressive leadership.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvie looked up to him through her lashes, pressing her lips together and pushing her chin out. “Contrary to everybody else at this house, she agreed to my offer. Chaplain Sanders actually just came over, before I came to you.” A tiny bit of pride filled her voice at her achievement.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She really was the most genuine and unselfish person he had known in his entire life, and his feelings for her seemed to grow even deeper if that was possible. The urge to wrap her up in his arms was so powerful that he had to fist his blanket tightly in his hands.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t think Gianna could have asked for a better mentor and partner. She’s lucky to have you by her side, Sylvie,” Matt promised her, holding her gaze. “And I’m sure she would agree with me on that.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A gentle smile crossed her lips as she blinked up to him. “Thanks, Matt.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Always.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He lost himself in her eyes, marveling at the millions of shades that formed into the sparkling blue that he adored so much. She held his gaze, staring back at him more openly than she had in weeks, and his heart hammered against his chest violently. It was just the first time they had talked again, and he felt more connected to her than ever before. Talking to her felt as easy as breathing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The pull between them was still strong, and when his eyes moved over her beautiful face, lingering on her plum, pink lips for a second, she leaned closer to him, her lips parting. He could almost feel her breath fan over his face, and he itched to reach out to her. To caress her cheek. To just feel her soft skin under his fingers.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He didn’t dare to break this moment between them though, keeping his hands to himself and enjoying her closeness for as long as she let him. It fueled his heart, giving him the strength and hope he had been lacking during the last two weeks. He’d be content to just stare at her for the rest of his life if it meant she would be right by his side and made him feel everything he felt in this moment.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Matt knew the moment would end at some point, but he had hoped that he would get to enjoy it just a tad longer. The vibrating of her phone made her snap out of it though, and she blinked in surprise, a blush covering her cheeks. As she leaned back, she grabbed her phone out of her jacket, lightening up the screen.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He didn’t mean to peek at those messages, and he wished he hadn’t, but he did. They felt like a bucket full of ice water, replacing the warm feeling of Sylvie’s presence with an icy shiver once more.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They were from Reed. Just like the flowers she got this morning.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Heard about the little boy. Call me if you need anything. – Andrew</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The hot anger he had felt all week quickly made a comeback, blinding him completely. Before he could help himself, he scoffed, “You better answer Lieutenant Reed before he comes over again.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvie’s eyes widened at his words, and a small gasp left her throat. She quickly stashed her phone back into her jacket pocket, swallowing hard. A mix of embarrassment and hurt crossed her face, and without saying another word, she stood up from her spot.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was an idiot, and Stella had been right all along. He was a jealous prick.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That was uncalled for. I’m sorry,” Matt apologized, pressing his lips into a tight line. “I have no right to say anything about Reed.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvie’s face hardened, and she stared him down forcefully. “You have absolutely no right to say anything about Andrew. You don’t know him. He’s a great guy who knows what he wants, and contrary to you, he’s putting an effort into pursuing me instead of just making empty promises.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her words felt like a slap into the face. What did he do?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sylvie,” he whispered weakly, standing up from his spot on the bed. How was he supposed to fix this?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, I’m done here,” she stopped him, lifting her hand defensively. “Let me know if your cough gets worse.” Without waiting for his answer, she turned around and sped out of his office, disappearing down the hallway.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Blinding rage filled him, and without thinking, he grabbed onto the first thing he could reach. In the next second, his chair flew through his quarters, hitting the brick wall next to his bed with a loud clang.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Breathing heavily, he shrugged the blanket off his back, crumpling it up and throwing it onto his bed. No matter what he did, it turned out to be wrong. Why couldn’t he ever get something right? He was a moron. His stupid comment might have just pushed Sylvie even further away from him, and even worse into the arms of another man.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Another surge of blinding rage filled him, and he grabbed onto the end of his bed to keep himself from throwing anything else through his quarters. With a forceful shove, he pushed his bed against the wall, the loud bang echoing through the small room.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lifting his arms, he folded his hands and rested them on the back of his head. He needed to regain control of his emotions. No matter how angry he was, he needed to remember that this was his workplace.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Have you tried just throwing everything off your desk?” A voice asked him from behind. “I’ve never tried it myself, but it seems to work in movies.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Turning around, Matt found Chaplain Sanders standing in his doorway, hands in his pockets. The older man mustered him with calm eyes, pointing towards Matt’s desk.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Chaplain,” Matt muttered in greeting, letting his arms fall down his sides. Making a poor impression on the new chaplain was just what he needed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“On second thought, I wouldn’t recommend cleaning off that desk. You’ve got an impressive amount of paperwork, and reorganizing that would take hours,” he retracted his suggestion, tipping his head from side to side.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Pursing his lips, Matt walked over to the chair he had just thrown across the room, picking it up and placing it by his desk again. “I think I’m done for today.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, if you find a good method to get rid of all this anger, let me know. It might come in handy from time to time,” Sanders told him with a nod, turning in his spot to leave.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It confused Matt. All the chaplains before Sanders wouldn’t have just left him after witnessing his tantrum. They would have pushed him to talk about it, or at least tried to, as he had rarely given in to their needling. But the fact that Sanders didn’t even try to offer his help threw Matt for a loop. He had expected a lecture from the chaplain, but he hadn’t gotten one.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sanders must have been the first person who hadn’t actively tried to force him to talk, and it took Matt a second longer to realize that this time though, he actually wanted to talk.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was tired of pushing through all his anger alone without making any progress. He was wasting time, and Lieutenant Reed was the best example of that. Sylvie was slipping through his fingers, and no matter how hard he tried, he kept screwing up with her. He was hurting her repeatedly, something she didn’t deserve.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His way wasn’t working, and maybe it was time to try a different one. A new one.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This was his chance. His chance to be better and to make an effort. No matter how scary it seemed, he knew it was the right way.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Chaplain Sanders?” Matt called out to him, waiting until the older man turned around towards him. “Do you have a minute?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The rest of the shift went excruciatingly slow for Sylvie. They didn’t get a lot of calls during the rest of the day, and only two more during the night, and by the time the clock struck 8 am, she was out of the firehouse and as far away from Matt as she could get.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When they had talked about the accident and Gianna, Sylvie had finally thought that they were back to the way it was before everything happened. Confiding in him had been easy, and his encouragement had been just what she needed. For the first time in weeks, she felt normal again, but it had only lasted for a couple of minutes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His comment about Andrew had hurt. She never tried to hide the fact that she was seeing Reed from Matt, but she also never openly admitted it. He hadn’t read Andrew’s message on purpose. It was an accident, and maybe it would have been wiser of her to wait until she hadn’t been sitting next to Matt to read Andrew’s message. But regardless of who was at fault, his comment was still unnecessary and mean.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Did he expect her to wait for him until he figured out his past without giving her so much as a clue that he did truly want her? They hadn’t talked in weeks, and she had just watched his terrible mood from the sidelines. Sadness had been her main emotion during that time, and she had to repeatedly push down her hope of Matt finally doing something.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Of course, her primary focus had to be on her own feelings. She couldn’t take any more heartbreak. She just wanted to feel something else, and Andrew made her feel happy. Being with him was easy and uncomplicated. Most of the time, Matt didn’t even cross her mind after spending time with the lieutenant.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>So yes, Matt had absolutely no right to say anything about Andrew. He was in no place to judge her because he was the one that kept on dangling maybes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her response to him had been harsh, and she had felt sorry about it for about three seconds before her anger took over again. It was the truth, and he was old enough to hear it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her bitter mood made her contemplate canceling her brunch date with Andrew, but she quickly pushed that thought away. She would just let Matt’s words get to her then, and apart from that, it would break her most important rule: keeping everything Matt Casey related as far away from Andrew as possible.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When she walked up to the restaurant in the late morning, finding Andrew standing a few feet away from it with a big smile on his face, her anger faded slowly. A weight lifted off her shoulders, and she took a deep breath to ground herself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good morning,” Andrew greeted her cheerfully, tilting his head to the side. “Did you find the place OK? It’s fairly new, but I heard good things about it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Without thinking, she crossed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around his middle. He was almost a head taller than her, so her cheek came to rest against his collarbone. He smelled nice, and Sylvie took another deep breath to let herself get sucked in by him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Andrew didn’t hesitate to wrap his arms around her, pulling her tightly against him. He seemed a bit surprised, but he lifted one of his hands to gently card through her hair while the other rested on her back. “Hey, what’s wrong?” He asked her softly, laying his cheek against her head. “Is this about the little boy from yesterday?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Closing her eyes, she concentrated on his fingers in her hair. “The entire shift was just terrible.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, Sylvie,” he whispered into her hair. “We can reschedule if you want. Just tell me what you need.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She shook her head against his chest, nuzzling closer to his warm skin. “No, I just need a hug. I’ll be fine in a second. I’m sorry I’m in such a grouchy mood.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, don’t apologize for that. I wanna know how you’re feeling. Good or bad. I wanna be there for you,” he promised her, holding her just a tad tighter. “And we can hug as long as you want. I’ve got nothing else planned today.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nodding her head, she sighed. Andrew was almost too good to be true, but she pushed that thought away, focusing on the warm comfort he gave her with his embrace.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I know Matt's issues are not really something that would allow him to talk to the chaplain, but this is the only thing I could see remotely happening. It's a bit unrealistic, but that's why it's called fanfiction, right? ;)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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